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WRC II Extreme

Overview

The World Rally Championship is back on PlayStation 2 - and it's bigger, better, dirtier and more extreme than ever before.

Get your 300hp engines revved for 115 staggering stages of intercontinental rallying action that will leave your heart thumping, your blood pumping and your nerves well and truly jangled. Fully-licensed events, vehicles and many of the world's best drivers and co-pilots ensure that this is the most authentic rally experience ever committed to console.

Pelt along approximately 800km of dirt, mud, snow and asphalt in the some of the harshest conditions imaginable - this is truly a battle between man, machine and the (extremely dangerous) elements. Each of the 14 featured countries offers its own set of unique environmental challenges, be it the terrifying bumps and jumps of Cyprus' dirt tracks or Germany's smooth-yet-insanely twisty tarmac roads. You'll also be crashing and bashing your way through the finest stages in Monaco, Sweden, France, Spain, Argentina, Greece, Kenya, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and the UK, so be sure to bring your toothbrush and several changes of underwear.

Naturally, the gruelling World Rally Championship is the focus of the game, although you aren't just relegated to competing in full competition. If you fancy just cutting to the chase, then Quick Race bypasses all the options and throws you straight into a randomly chosen vehicle and track. You've also got the chance to create your own Custom Rally, or even a Custom Championship (where you have the power to dictate which countries you race in and when), take on a fellow rally-mad friend in the split-screen Head to Head mode, or try to beat the clock in a one-off Time Trial.

Even if these other modes didn't even exist, the WRC mode would still have you and up to three other wannabe drivers playing for a long, long time. Here you must select from Novice, Professional or Expert settings that not only dictate the difficulty of your opponent, but also the number of stages encountered per day and the severity of any damage and time penalties you receive. It pays to be careful, especially because you only have 5 minutes between stages to make any necessary repairs to your vehicle. On the other hand, no successful rally driver has ever got where there are by not taking the occasional crazy risk. As a wise man probably once said: true mastery can only be attained once perfect balance from within (your car) has been achieved.

WRC II Extreme is as accessible or as hardcore as you want it to be, so if you're a fan of driving games trying to find an exciting alternative to circuit-based racing titles or a die-hard rallying enthusiast, you certainly won't be disappointed. The amount of race options on offer are, in a word, overwhelming, and the ability for up to four players to participate in nearly all of them equates to immense replay value - just what you need while you're waiting for the 2003 WRC. You'll also be blown away by the totally authentic handling, stunning, almost photo-realistic visuals and convincing in-game audio, all of which combine to form one of the most immersive rally racers ever.